Eye-glass earpiece with adjustable hinge joint

ABSTRACT

An earpiece for eyeglasses is characterized by an earpiece body (1) having an eyelet (2) at its end and a threaded section (6) on which is screwed a sleeve (10) containing an elastic mechanism (9) suitable for pushing a cursor (8) against the eyelet (2) so that the distance between the sleeve edge (10a) and the cursor body (8c) can be adjusted.

This invention pertains to a new type of earpiece for eyeglass frameswhich makes it possible to adjust the angular opening with respect tothe front piece to which it is associated; it works by effect of thecompensation action of a built-in elastic mechanism compressed duringflexing.

The innovative feature is substantially that of having the end of theearpiece, which already has a normal eyelet hinging to the front piece,fitted with a cursor normally pressed against the hinge-bend or hingeend of the front piece by a suitable elastic means abutting against thethreaded base of a sleeve, the position of which may be translated byturning it on the screw-thread on the earpiece in order to adjust thelength of the travel of the cursor when striking the hinge-bend, thusvarying the flexing (flection) of the earpiece.

To improve the conditions for a stable positioning of the glasses on thenose, different elasticized hinging solutions of the earpieces on thefront piece were adopted, so as to force it into a light but adequatepressure against the temples, to prevent the glasses from slipping fromthe nose.

Most of the present known systems are based on the use of an elasticizedmechanism, generally a spiral spring, opened by compression or tensionon the hinge or on the hinge-bend of the front piece. Sometimes thespiral spring is replaced by a flat spring or other flexing elasticmechanism.

Such known systems, however, are characterized by a certain structuralcomplexity, not to mention their relative weakness, due to the smallsizes which the various parts must have, to the point that many peopleare induced in preferring normal earpieces, which, because of theirsimple structure, can have larger sizes and are sturdier.

Moreover such known elastic hinge systems do not permit adjusting thewidth of the opening of the earpieces, thereby exerting increasing andbothersome pressure on the temples, with the increase of flexing due tothe individual constitution of the person.

The prior art documents EP-A-96 928 and EP-A-306 446 disclose how torealize an earpiece for eyeglasses that has an adequate elasticizedopening system, for the desired effect of eyeglass removing, but withthe possibility of this opening being adjustable and variable inrelation to the morphological structure of the face, to ensure thecorrect earpiece pressure for each opening width. These documents,however, are silent regarding the above mentioned innovative feature.

The object achieved by the present invention can be gathered from thefollowing description of one of its constructional solutions, which isto be understood only by way of example and not limiting. With theinvention an extremely simple and functional system of elasticization ofthe earpiece, to assure maximum solidity of its parts and, therefore,long-lasting action, is achieved.

Furthermore, the innovation can be improved such that a cylindrical orpolygonal surface is created along the hinging zone of the earpiece forembellishment and decoration that could give the eyeglasses furtheraesthetic value.

According to the invention the opening of the earpiece is adjustable sothat it can be adapted to any shape of the head without exertingexcessive pressure. The degree of pre-charging of the elastic means canbe adjusted. It is possible to define the axial flexing of the cursorand the subsequent angular opening of the earpiece relatively to thenormal opening angle on the front piece of the hinge-bend.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated with the help offour schematic drawings reproduced in the enclosed table in which

FIG. 1 represents a plan view, with an axial section of the hinge end ofan earpiece for eyeglasses, built according to the invention and presetto act without any flexing relative to the normal opening of the frontpiece;

FIG. 2 represents a plan view of the same earpiece as at FIG. 1, with ananalogous axial section, but preset for a possible adjustable flexing;

FIG. 3 represents a plan view of the same earpiece as at FIG. 1, with ananalogous axial section, but with the maximum flexing allowed by thedegree of the set adjustment;

FIG. 4 represents a perspective plan view of a detail applied to theearpiece in question.

In all the figures, the same details are represented, or are meant to berepresented, with the same reference numbers.

Item 1 represents a detail of an end of the earpiece for eyeglasses,with an eyelet 2, which hinges the pin 3, which in turn is fixedlyconnected to hinge part 4 which constitutes part of the hinge-bend orend of the front piece of the eyeglasses 5.

The said end of the earpiece 1 has a threaded portion 6, at a suitabledistance from the eyelet 2. The same earpiece end 1 can be a usual corefor a plastic sheathing 7, or else can be left uncovered, at any ratehaving a diameter, or other constant cross-section, suitable for beingslipped in to let the cursor 8 slide forward until it strikes againstthe eyelet 2.

The spiral spring 9 surrounds the earpiece 1 while abutting the head ofthe cursor 8 with its one end, as well as the sleeve 10 with its otherend. Sleeve 10 is screwed onto the thread 6, whereby the spiral spring 9supplies the elastic mechanism with a suitable compression pre-load.Referring to FIG. 4, the cursor 8 is made up of an extremity 8a with arelief groove 8b and of a cylindrical body 8c on which a disk-piece 8dis fitted with an axial joint 8f and adapting to the shape of the eyelet2 of the earpiece 1 against which it normally strikes, being fitted ontosaid earpiece through its channel 8g. The cursor 8 has another reducedsector 8h, whose reduced angular extension is due to the fact that itmust allow the closing rotation of the earpiece 1, as shown below.

Having completed the description of the hinge parts, a description oftheir function can now be given in order also to show that they are inconformity with the specified objects and purposes.

Referring to FIG. 1, supposing an earpiece without any elastic effect isneeded, FIG. 1 shows an earpiece working like a normal, rigid earpiece.In this case, the sleeve 10 is screwed in in the direction towardshinge-bend 5, along the thread 6 of the earpiece 1, until the edge 10aabuts the body 8c of the cursor 8, forming a single functional elementthat presses the disk extremity 8d against the head of the hinge-bend 5.

The rigidity of the functional element, formed by the sleeve 10 and bythe cursor 8 abutting the hinge-bend 5, prevents any flexing of earpiece1 exceeding the normal angular opening between the earpiece 1 and thefront piece of the hinge-bend 5.

If the earpiece 1 is to be closed (i.e. the eye glasses are to be foldedtogether), it is sufficient to bring the earpiece 1 from its openposition approximately orthogonal to the front piece of the hinge-bend 5to the closed position approximately parallel to said front piece.

FIGS. 2 and 3 illustrate the situation where a particular flexing of theearpiece is desired so that normal pressure on the temples is assured inthat position.

As can be seen from FIG. 2, sleeve 10 has merely to be unscrewed alongthe thread 6 of earpiece 1, so that a suitable space is obtained betweenthe edge 10a of sleeve 10 and the body 8c of cursor 8.

In case of flexing, which is caused, for example, when the glasses areworn, the head 8d of the cursor, being always in contact with theabutting front piece of the hinge-bend 5, forces the cursor to travelalong the earpiece 1, while slightly detaching itself from the eyelet 2.This axial translation brings about a compression of the elastic means9, which, in this way, assures the desired pressure on the temples. Thistranslational displacement of cursor 8 causes the sleeve edge 10a togradually approach the cursor body 8c.

The moment of contact in the new flexed position between the edge 10aand the cursor body 8c determines the maximum flexing (flection) orangular opening allowed.

It is evident that if the flexing (flection) has been adjusted toostrongly or not sufficiently, it is possible to screw in or screw outthe sleeve 10 along the earpiece thread 6 so as to reach an angularopening that assures the right earpiece pressure on the temples, so thatthe main object of the innovation is reached.

The possibility of having an earpiece in one single piece 1, that iselastic but at the same time directly hinged to the pin 3 with itsextremity 2, without the interposition of elastic joining pieces betweenthe earpiece and the hinge as with the majority of the known present-dayelastic earpieces, makes the proposed solution solid, sturdy and simple,in conformity with another object mentioned. Furthermore, the surface ofthe sleeve 10 may be used advantageously for the application of anembellishment and decoration, conforming to another object alreadyindicated.

Naturally, the constructive solution illustrated is meant to be takensolely as an example and is not limiting; indeed it is possible, forexample, to replace the spiral spring 9 by another elastic mechanism.Furthermore, the inversion of the fitting between the cursor parts 8aand 8b with the sleeve edge 10a is possible.

These and other analogous modifications or adaptations are at any rateconsidered as falling under the scope of the invention that is to beprotected.

I claim:
 1. Earpiece for eyeglasses comprising:an earpiece body having ahinging eyelet at its end, a sleeve containing an adjustable elasticmechanism and having a sleeve edge, said earpiece body extending axiallythrough the sleeve and the adjustable elastic mechanism, and a cursorwhich is pushed toward the hinging eyelet by the elastic mechanism andwhich has an axially extending opening through which the earpiece bodyslidably extends,wherein the earpiece body and the sleeve each have athreaded part such that they are adjustably screwable together, allowingfor an adjustment of a distance between the sleeve edge and a body ofthe cursor.
 2. Earpiece for eyeglasses according to claim 1, wherein thehinging eyelet is fitted at a pin of a hinge connected to a hinge-bendof a front piece of the eyeglasses.
 3. Earpiece for eyeglasses accordingto claim 2, wherein the cursor is slidably mounted onto the earpiecebody, said cursor having extremities kept in contact with the eyelet bythe elastic mechanism, one of the extremities abutting against thehinge-bend.
 4. Earpiece for eyeglasses according to claim 3, wherein thebody of the cursor is designed to meet the sleeve edge to determine anaxial translation of the cursor along the earpiece body, said axialtranslation determining a corresponding opening of the earpiece body. 5.Earpiece for eyeglasses according to claim 1, wherein the sleeve has athreaded bottom matching the threaded part of the earpiece body, saidthreaded bottom coming into contact with the elastic mechanism to pushthe cursor against the hinging eyelet, said sleeve edge designed to meetthe body of the cursor in order to determine maximum translation allowedto the cursor during flexing of the earpiece body.